Mark Phelps

Aviation is still buzzing over the N-number mix-up that led to a profound law enforcement blunder. It’s pretty clear that none of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) police who responded to a stolen aircraft alert last Saturday are pilots. Who among us would not have recognized John and Martha King as they deplaned from a 2009 […]

One of the victims of the economic slowdown was the Aces game studio, a Microsoft subsidiary that the software giant closed down. Aces was responsible for developing and maintaining Microsoft’s iconic Flight Simulator game — used by non-flying enthusiasts for entertainment, and pilots for helping to retain some of their flying skills. Now, Microsoft has […]

Sporty’s has relaunched its LearnToFlyHere.com website, with rich video content and a new learn-to-fly blog. Designed as an Internet resource for anyone interested in learning to fly, the redesigned site includes 20 minutes of video content, divided into four segments: Why you should learn to fly; How to go about it; A typical first lesson; […]

A 22-year-old airshow performer survived essentially unscathed after his RANS S-9 lost a wing, and he deployed his Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) whole airplane parachute. Click here for dramatic video of the incident on YouTube. At an airshow in at El Trebol, Argentina, performer Dino Moline was making an inverted pass, pushed up, and the […]

If you’re a student pilot and think you’re a good role model for other young women who want to learn to fly, sharpen up your typing skills. An effective essay on your motivation, inspiration and future plans could win you a $1,000 scholarship from Girls With Wings. Students who have soloed but not yet earned […]

Last week, FAA tests demonstrated that a 100 low lead (100LL) alternative from Swift Enterprises can deliver the equivalent of 102 octane. The fuel is made of pure hydrocarbons and can be manufactured using biomass, natural gas or petroleum raw materials, making the new fuel substitute both clean and sustainable. According to Swift co-founder Louise […]

We’ve all been asked, “Isn’t flying little airplanes risky?” And we all have our own answers. If you’ve been using the old chestnut, “It’s safer than driving to the airport,” then you’ve been cheating, at least a little bit. No, statistically, flying light aircraft is much riskier than driving a car. But it is true […]

“Soft orders” have led to a workforce reduction on Cessna’s Citation Mustang production line. The company now expects to deliver roughly 70 of the entry-level jets this year, after a major order from a European air-taxi operator was cancelled. About 75 workers received notice last week. The Mustang is built at Cessna’s Independence, Kansas, plant.

The Corporate Angel Network (CAN) announced that Gulfstream had donated $50,000 to its cause. CAN arranges flights for cancer patients in empty seats aboard corporate jets. More than 500 corporations and individuals donate empty seats to CAN patient flights. The charity organization was founded in 1981, and arranges more than 250 flights per month — […]

As pilots, we spend much of our training time anticipating emergencies and drilling ourselves on how to react. That’s good, because training means exercising our mental muscle memory. Just as a pro basketball player practices the same three-point shot thousands of times to train his leg, arm and wrist muscles, we ingrain the correct responses […]